Funko Five Questions – Ghostbusters

It’s FUNKO UNIVERSE MONTH here at IDW!

For five consecutive weeks, we’ll be asking the creative teams behind the different Funko Universe one-shots five Funko-related questions.

This week we we have writer Troy Dye and artist Philip Murphy of the Ghostbusters: Funko Universe issue, which you can pick up at your local comic book store this coming Wednesday!

What do you see as the major difference between the standard versions of these characters and the Funko versions?

Philip Murphy: Well I think we tried to keep the spirit of the standard characters as much as possible while exaggerating some of their mannerisms to give them more of a Funko feel but I think the biggest difference is we leaned towards more of a slapstick animated comedy feel for this comic.

Troy Dye: The Funko line of collectibles have over-exaggerated faces and features, which happens to makes them cute, cool and funny. I wanted to keep that sense of playfulness in the Funko versions of the Ghostbusters comic. While the integrity of the original characters is still there, the fun factor has been cranked up a few notches.

Is this your first time writing/drawing for these characters, and if not, how is your approach different?

PM: Yes it’s my first time drawing The Ghostbusters which is a dream come true I can tell you, I’ve been a fan since I first watched the movie as a kid and wore my Kenner Proton Pack running around my house catching ghosts it was an absolute pleasure to work on 🙂

TD: While I’ve written many comics in a similar vein, this is the first time I’ve hung out with the boys from Ghostbusters. My past experience writing all-ages comics based on licensed film characters, like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, helped me tremendously on this book, as my approach to this book was nearly the same: make it fun and funny, yet stay true to the spirit of the source material.

What makes The Ghosbusters a good fit for the Funko Universe of comics?

PM:I love the whole comedy out there feel the Funko Universe has and I have always loved to draw those kinds of things, it’s always cool when you can take a serious character or characters and give them a comedy twist.

TD: The Ghostbusters films, comics, and cartoons are comedies that also happen to have plenty of action and adventure. That’s exactly what the Funko universe is all about. Hand meet glove.

Now that you’ve worked with these characters in the Funko Universe setting, what other characters do you think would be fun to Funko-ize?

PM: Oh Gosh! wow so many characters would be so cool to tell stories in the Funko Universe, off the top of my head I think Star Trek, Star Wars, Back to the Future & Transformers to name just a few would definitely be cool to Funko-ize.

TD: Great question. So many choices. Off the top of my head, this is what I’d like to read (or better yet, write): Star Wars, Transformers, Star Trek, True Blood, Skylanders, and anything else in the fantasy genre … because that’s the best genre in multiverse, right?

Do you own any Funko Pop figures yourself? Which ones?

PM: I have collected quite a few Funko Pop figures these past few years, along with Ghostbusters of course I have Big Trouble in Little China , The Phantom along with some Marvel and DC 😀

TD: Hells yeah I do! I bought the first Star Wars Smuggler’s Bounty box. Captain Phasma stands gloriously upon a splendid altar, while Fighter Pilot 89 worships at her feet.